Vadi is a vegetarian Indian dish. It is traditionally prepared as potatoes dunked in a tomato base curry. Vadi is accompanied by parathas, roti or rice.
Cooking vadi
Ingredients for cooking mung vadi
- 1 cup mung vadi
- 2 medium sized potato cut into 1 inch pieces
- 6 to 8 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup of finely shredded onion
- 1 medium sized tomato. This can be substituted by three quarters cup or 2 teaspoon of tomato paste.
- 1 ginger piece 1 inch in length
- 2 teaspoonful salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1-2 seeded green chillies.
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 4 to 6 black pepper corns
- 1 tablespoon shredded cilantro
- 1 bay-leaf
Mix and grind ginger, tomato, green chillies and garlic in a blender. A pressure cooker is required. However, this can be substituted by any sealed heavy bottom pan.
Method of preparation
- Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into the cooker. Heat the oil.
- Put the mung vadi on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the color of vadis turn brown. A smell of nuts is also ascertained.
- Take out the vadi from the pan.
- Pour 2 more tablespoons of oil into the cooker or pan.
- Put in shredded onions, bay-leaf and peppercorns.
- Saute on medium high heat until the time when onions become translucent and ready to be become brown at the edges.
- Put in red chili powder, turmeric, cumin powder, and coriander powder
- Saute the mix for 30 seconds and add the ginger, green chilly, tomato and garlic blend
- Put in salt and after waiting for a minute, add 2 tablespoons water
- Saute until oil oozes to the side of the cooker or pan
- Put in the fried mung vadis
- Add potatoes and ensure that the masala fully coats them.
- Put in water and stir
- If using a pressure cooker, wait for the first hiss and then lower the heat and cook for 12-13 minutes. If cooking is done in a pan, cook for a period of 15-16 minutes
- Ideally, vadis should be colored bright yellow. This color signifies creamy and soft insides.
- Shredded cilantro is used to garnish the dish. It also helps in seasoning of the dish
- Before serving, sprinkle some fennel powder or garam masala.
